Bush will spend most of this week in two countries that nearly went to nuclear war within the past decade — twice. India and Pakistan have opened a dialogue since near-wars in 1999 and 2002, giving Bush an opportunity to pursue agendas that include counterterrorism, nuclear diplomacy, the lowering of trade barriers and the promotion of democracy. "These nations are undergoing great changes," Bush said recently, "and those changes are being felt all across the world." Where he's going and why. India: The world's second-most-populous nation could surpass China in numbers this century. A diverse country of 1.1 billion, India has at least 17 major languages and hundreds of dialects. It is also the world's largest democracy, having broken from British colonial rule in 1947. The country's population is about 81% Hindu, 13% Muslim, 2% Christian and 2% Sikh. India and the United States had prickly relations for years when India leaned toward the Soviet Union during the Cold War. ... http://www.usatoday.com

Tens of thousands of anti-government protesters in Thailand are vowing to continue demonstrations on Monday against their prime minister. The campaigners, many of whom attended a huge rally on Sunday night, say they will keep up the protests until Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra steps down. Mr Thaksin has refused to quit despite repeated rallies calling for him to go. On Friday he called snap elections, although opposition parties are said to be considering a boycott. The anti-Thaksin movement has gripped the Thai capital Bangkok. The latest demonstration, on Sunday, was the third rally in less than a month. Several thousands demonstrators camped out overnight in Sanam Luang field, where the rally drew tens of thousands of people. "Our Monday protest will have more people joining from the provinces," said Sondhi Limthongkul, the premier's fiercest public critic and a key figure of the protests. ...http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4753898.stm

RIYADH (Reuters) - Saudi security forces clashed with suspected militants in a suburb of Riyadh early on Monday, security sources said, just days after al Qaeda militants tried to storm a major Saudi oil facility.They said security forces had surrounded the men in the affluent al-Hamra district of east Riyadh. No more details were available. Al Qaeda suicide bombers attacked the world's largest oil processing plant in Abqaiq on Friday, in the first direct strike on a Saudi energy target since al Qaeda launched attacks aimed at toppling the U.S.-allied monarchy in 2003. It was also the first major attack by militants opposed to the Saudi royals since suicide bombers tried to storm the Interior Ministry in Riyadh in December 2004. ...http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=1665580

A suspected man who opened fire with a shotgun during a church service Sunday morning killed a woman and wounded two people before he shot himself a mile away, police said. Investigators believe a domestic dispute led to the shooting at Zion Hope Missionary Baptist Church about 11 a.m., said Second Deputy Police Chief James Tate. A 9-year-old child, sitting near the unidentified woman who died, was hit in the hand by a buckshot pellet, Tate said. Police didn't know the relationship of the pair. As the man fled the church, he critically shot a man trying to protect his wife from a carjacking attempt, officials said. ...http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-02-26-church-shooting_x.htm?csp=34

The FBI determined a powdery substance found in a roll of quarters at a University of Texas dormitory was not ricin after initial state tests had indicated it was the potentially deadly poison, a spokesman said Sunday. The FBI tests did not identify the substance, but they came back negative for the poison that is extracted from castor beans, said San Antonio FBI spokesman Rene Salinas. "There were no proteins in there to indicate it was in fact ricin," Salinas said. He said was unlikely further testing would be done. Texas health officials did "just a quick test and they don't check for the proteins in ricin," Salinas said. The mystery powder spilled onto Kelly Heinbaugh's hands as she unwrapped a roll of quarters in her dorm room on Thursday. She said she'd used five other rolls of quarters her mother had gotten from the same bank and none had powder in them. ...http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=1665587

Police searching for thieves who got away with around $87 million from a British security company said Sunday they found weapons and $2.3 million in a van they believe the gang used. The sophisticated robbery of the Securitas Cash Management Ltd. company cash depot on Wednesday is believed to have been Britain's biggest-ever currency theft. Police said the dumped money was discovered in black sacks in a white van found parked outside a hotel on Friday. The vehicle, which has been scrutinized for forensic evidence, also held guns, body armor and face masks, Adrian Leppard, assistant chief constable for Kent Police, told a news conference. ...http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/02/26/world/main1346533.shtml?CMP=OTC-RSSFeed&source=RSS&attr=World_1346533